Daichi: The Lost, the Reborn, and the Saved
by carrieboohere
Summary: Most know Daichi as the younger cousin of Nat, the protagonist of 'The Earth Guardian', but who was Daichi? View her life through her eyes, as she ventures through the Illuminati's quarters, meeting important people along the way as she follows her crimson dyed thread of fate...
1. Chapter 1

**Daichi:**

Watching the man loom over her, the small girl's eyes were wide and horrified; fear running through her spine like electric circuits. The blue eyes stared into her like the blue flames of Gehenna, his smile a lunatic's and wild. Trembling as she heard Nat's shouts and her parents' harsh demands to move, they were silenced by utter horror as her mother was grabbed by the chocolaty locks of brown hair that was bound tightly into a bun.

"Marie!" My father shouted, his crisp, golden eyes full of terror as Satan pressed his thumb to the bottom of her chin, his other fingers clamped around her throat. "Let her go, please just let her go!" His voice cracked as his composure of stoic behavior and silent strength crumbled under fear.

This made the child's blue eyes grow wide and her small figure tremble. This grosteque scene, these feelings inside her were unfamiliar. She couldn't identify it. Why was this happening? Did she do something wrong? Did she deserve this as a punishment for not playing with Nat and Yukine, her older brother, enough, or for not being able to say all the words they spoke to her or the fact she fumbled around so much, her arms and legs too short for her frame and unable to keep up with the people around her? Was that it?

"Oho, I'm not gonna kill her yet," The man drawled, loosening his grip on Daichi's mother, giving the woman false hope as flames then erupted against her wrist. "I'll make her slaughter you all." With another gleeful laugh, he raised her flaming hand with his own; blood splattering everywhere.

* * *

**Daichi:**

The small girl lay on the dirtied and soaked ground, her right left eye and side of her mouth twitching and her left nostril flaring and sniffling, snot dripping down as she tried to relax, tried to let her sleep take over her. She hurt everywhere. She couldn't feel her bottom half; it hurt like getting smacked with a brick. Multiple times.

She heard sobbing and hiccups, her neck searing with pain as she turned her head, seeing a girl's brunette head, holding someone's arm close to her; it was just an arm. The hand was limp and broken, awkwardly positioned against the tiny girl's chest as she wept into the cold fingers that were bent in countless ways.

"Okaa-San!" She bawled openly, her fingers curling, unculring, and then curling again into the skin of the limb, crimson staining the girl's torn kimono and dark curls of hair. "Okaa-san, don't leave me alone! You-You promised!" She screams desperately, making the younger girl's heart hammer in her frail chest, eye watering as Daichi hated this; she hated watching her family cry, she hated the scene in front of her, she hated her weakness and frail abilities. Daichi hated it all. Something dark weighted down upon her chest, over the grief and fear that cloaked the girl's mind like a blanket. She knew it wasn't something good; otherwise it would've been warm and soft, like one of the freshly groomed kitten's fur. So what was it?

Hearing a soft thud, the female perked up to see that Nat had dropped the object in her hands, and was scrounging around, rummaging through the house to look for something; someone that was precious to her. Even so, what was left to be hers anymore? They had failed her. Gaea would be furious. Even if Gaea was the clan's patron and ancestor, the goddess wouldn't be able to live without her tribe thriving and alive. Without her protectors, Nat would die.

"But my dear girl, we are only your sheilds, your protectors. We are to live and die only for you."

The elders would recite that phrase over and over again, until Nat's eyes were murky and dark, the colors looking like they were a concoction of shattered innocence, as Daichi's older brother always said. Daichi looked to the girl again, as her eyes were like home; the summer that was slowly coming to fall. She always complimented her own, saying they were like the snow lit night of Winter; that it was like Christmas Eve here at home. It made Daichi love her eyes when others of her family despised it-now just one eye.

"Oi...Onee-chan..." Hearing someone grunt, the young girl tried to move, but felt someone's hand wrap around her demolished one, that was left with just a few fingers, one bent back with white showing, it crusted with blood and was black stuff. She didn't know what it was at the time, but seeing that the white was bone-yes, even a two year old would know that- it wasn't good.

Looking to the side that hurt more, she felt tears cloud her eyes, seeing the familiar pair of brown eyes that had first stared down at her when she was her youngest; did that mean she would be her oldest now? "Onii-chan..." she muttered, though sputtered for breath as she said this. The older boy, Yukiine, grimaced with obvious pain, but kept a brave smile on as he let his hands envelope Daichi's face, drops of water that rained from his eyes and landed on her cheek.

"D-Daijoubu, Onee-chan..." The five year old blubbered, sniffling and choking down sobs, as it was obvious the two of them were in trouble. Daichi's lips curled up to a slight smile; she knew her brother wasn't one for combat. He was like herself; a loved outcast. Even so, because he was older, their relatives would go less easy on him instead of her. What was the point of acting soft when you despise and loathe in reality?

Yukine started to bawl harder as he saw that his little sister's eye was fluttering closed, and her breathing slowed. "O-Onee-chan! Onee-chan, don't go to sleep yet! I don't want to be awake all alone..." His voice wavered and quieted, as he kept shaking Daichi, hoping she would awake again. The blue eyes gazed up blearily to the other Hatome for a second, and a little smile came to her lips.

"I'm tired, Onii-chan...I'm going to sleep."


	2. The Lost and Forgotten

**Daichi: **

When the girl awoke again, she saw that her body felt numb and broken, like pieces of a machine gone wrong. Her body ached, but it seemed she had bigger problems to deal with.

"Nattie-chan, don't cry..." An unfamiliar voice cooed, and the sniffles and snorts of the older cousin of hers were able to be heard like a sharp noise echoing through a cave. She could feel little sparks of an igniting fire in her chest, but fear put it down like a bucket of water. What was this? She'd never felt this before, she didn't know what to do. If this continued any longer, how would her will keep up with it?

"C'mon, Nattie-chan. Let's get you some clothes." Another voice crowed, it older and like her dad's. Her dad... Immediately, her eye snapped open, and so, despite the pain, she started to prop herself up on her elbow. Her side ached, and her eyes hurt like they were jabbed by thumbs on fire. She really needed to get her imagination under control.

"I... But, my-my family..." Daichi was able to hear the meek protest in Nat's voice, but it faded as there was silence. The big moment of silence showed that Nat was thinking, and the flare burned harsher and more strong than ever in her chest. She needed to know what that feeling was. Why couldn't she stop it from consuming her? She heard voices; she could hear the whispers of people she didn't know, muttering curses and bad words into her ear, her throat closing up and her eyes clenching closed. No. Nat-Nat couldn't leave her. Nat _wouldn't _leave her.

Tears filled her eyes as she couldn't move, she could only watch as her cousin turned, looking around for somehting, someone. She could not see Daichi, though, the young girl knew. "No..." She tried to whisper, but no words or sound came to her vocals. Why couldn't she speak? If only she could say something, even babble a few useless words that she would always do before all of this. Why now? Why at the time when her home was leaving her? Was this what most called 'heartbreak'?

But this wasn't a breakup; her uncle always complained about 'heartbreak' when a girl left him. It had happened often. Maybe if he cut off that mop of hair, girls would go for him. Noticing the tufts of familiar dark hair beside the head that rolled, bile filled her throat. The man with blue flames already had that covered for him.

"You need a home, Nat-chan." The old man reminded the child, her heart plummeting as the other girl only nodded, sniffling more and wiping at her eyes. "There we are..." He smiled a little to her cousin with a cheeky smirk that set Daichi's eye aflame with growing darkness, her tears growing more angered and hateful than the grief and sadness that clung to her at first.

Watching as the four figures started to fade as they walked away, Daichi's heart wept as she was left.

Daichi was now the Forgotten.

* * *

**Daichi:**

"Oi, you brat. Geddup." A harsh voice demanded, and so she perked up to look at a man who had a snarl on his face, his eyes big and a red color. His dark hair was oily and greased back, his lips pulled back from his unstraightened teeth. "Lucifer, she's awake. Do yeh want me to kill 'er now?" At this, the Hatome's eyes widened and she scrambled back, only to wail at the amount of pain lifting her arm gave.

"Don't try to run, little girl," Another voice mused, and so Daichi turned to look to a man with navy blue hair, his expression amused as he twirled a piece of his shaggy hair around his finger. "It'll only result in a more painful drowning of your soul." He snickered, and tears fill the small girl's eyes out of fear. These guys were scary, much scarier than the elders of her clan.

"Please don't frighten her too much, Egyn." The blonde haired man scolded the man, and so she sniffled a little, squirming away from the others' reach. "She'll be useful." Looking to the man, his expression stoic but flickering of curiosity. Daichi felt the small flicker like a warm flame of hope, reassuring her until her eyelids fell from exhaustion. She fell forward, and to her surprise, a man caught her. He had flaming red hair, that contrasted slightly from his amber colored eyes. Setting the girl down next to him, he pressed his hand to her wound, a small frown on his face

"She is of our enemy, Lucifer. What must we do?" The man asked quietly, his voice weary and his eyes narrowed, watching the small girl's chest heave up and down in frantic movements to breath, like a rabbit when one would squeeze it between their hands. Looking over to the girl, the blonde man's eyes softened; her fragile state reminded him much of someone he could distinctly remember. As if this memory decided for him, he nodded.

"We will make her one of us."

* * *

**Daichi:**

Waking up after what felt like an eternity, Daichi turned to look at her caretaker, blue eyes widening as she saw that her arm was the same as before; pale and tiny for her two year old frame, but it looked bigger. Looking around to notice her grown frame, she saw that it seemed, at the least, 5 years older. Her face felt like cold water had washed it till the blood and gore was clean from her face and even her memory.

"Ah, you've noticed." A new figure said with a monotone voice, his face like a stone carving, his amber eyes like flames of the hearth that would keep her family-no, her old family- warm during harsh winters, even though they had cage things that kept them warm in what the elders had called, 'the modern days'. How long had she slept? It seemed like ages since her bones had last moved, what had happened?

One image slipped to her mind; Natsuki Hatome, her beloved cousin, was walking away from her. She was holding hands with someone else. Not herself, not Yukine, not a Hatome. She could see that her smile was pure and full of bliss, her figure turned to ignore the horrid scene around her. Disgust filled the chest of Daichi, and her eyes squeezed shut to try and dismiss this, the rational part of her mind trying to decipher a different meaning to this.

"Do not rush yourself, Daichi. You will only make it harder upon yourself." The man started, frowning as he started to slowly get up. Hearing his scolding, the girl nodded slowly, her face scrunching up, as if trying to hide the fact that her conscious was shattered, and that, even though the girl wouldn't dare admit it, she was scared.

"Hello~" A new figure burst through the doorway of the room, his hair blue and shaggy, a dopey expression worn on his face. Blinking, Daichi slowly tried to turn her head, pulling up her hand to rub the sleep that lingered in her eyes. "Who would've thought you'd wake up this soon? After five short years, you woke up from your nap!" The man mused, giving a giddy smile before patting the red haired man's head with a grin, canine teeth peeking out from under his lip.

"Five-" Daichi clutched at her chest, her eyes widening and then squeezed shut, the girl trying to hide the immense pain that leisurely spread from her chest. "Five years?" She sputtered, frowning at the men who stood in front of her. The blue haired man had cocked his head to the side, confusion obvious on his pale face, while the redhead reached out to help her.

"Like I have said, Daichi. You must rest." The red headed man chided, his rough and work-hardened hands firm on my shoulders, pushing the girl back to lay down in her bed. Huffing for breath, Daichi tried to protest, though she already felt exhausted. "We will get some food for you; however, you must rest. Do you understand?" Satisfied at the sight of the brunette's bleary nod, he gets up, pulling the blanket over the small girl's frame with a soft jerk.

"Who... Who are you?" Daichi managed to murmur sleepily, her eyelids closing as the man neared her, his eyes holding her gaze, even if it was darkening with leaving unconsciousness each second.

"We are your...friends."


	3. A New Home

**Daichi:**

"Faster, Daichi! Faster! Don't let it catch you off guard!" The brunet man snapped, slamming his hand on the ground with a low growl. Daichi obeyed, huffing for breath as she swung her sword at the creature that loomed over the obstacle: a pipe that contained gasses that she didn't want to know of. The man who barked orders at her-Beezlebub- sighed with annoyance, slumping and rubbing his temple with his fingers, carefully avoiding the sharp nails of his. Her swing was unstable, her hands too soft for the right hold of the blade she held. Her legs weren't bent fully, and her arms were too stiff. "She'll fall over in a second if my creature attacks her again." He muttered to himself, before giving another glance through the vast sheet of glass that was a hard, durable barrier separating him and the girl.

On the other side of the glass, Daichi lunged towards the garbage can lid, holding it over her as the creature's stinger impaled it easily, barely grazing her skin with green goop escaping it. Grimacing, the seven year old started to get to one foot, using all of her strength to shove the creature off of her. With a sharp screech, the demon fell on its back, the lid circling the stinger like a cone of protection.

"Do it now, while it's wounded!" She could hear the demon's master order harshly, a glare searing through the glass and to the girl that battled the creature. Looking up to Beezlebub, the said fighter frowned, looking down to the game that squirmed and writhed with whines and screeches. Kill it? How? There was no view of its weak spot, nor was there any true motivation. Even though it was protesting and moving, it seemed that she already won.

"Beezlebub, what is she doing?" Some of his workers murmured, gathering around the grass as they watched the girl. Trembling slightly, Daichi grabbed the sword that glimmered against the grime in the arena, her fingers tight around the hilt. emI have to do this, Beelzebub said it was okay,/em Daichi reassured herself, though looking down to the creature that stopped struggling, her eyes went soft with doubt. emWas this the right thing to do?

"Daichi! Thrust downward! Now!" With this, the creature sprung forward with a hiss, tackling her to the ground; its legs scratched against her skin with feral instinct: to kill the prey that it sought in front of it. Screaming, the girl fought back, kicking and trying to push the demon off of her. "Daichi!" She could hear the king of bugs screech into the intercom, and as if it was a mating call, the insect like monster faltered its attack on the child to look up at its master.

"emAttack/em, a familiar voice commanded in a part of Daichi's mind, causing her to perk up, her eyes going wide with surprise and recognition. Scrambling out from under the creature, she panted for breath while clawing at her throat desperately. Looking back to the creature sharply, her eyes narrowed as she managed to steady herself.

"What are you waiting for?! Attack!" Beezlebub's voice rose over the chaotic hisses and whispering from the other side of the glass, red hues wide with fury of the girl's rebellion, and surprise. The male demon had never seen a child survive this long against the beloved monster he had created, and it thrilled him. He was not willing to let his beloved toy kill the girl now.

Nodding to her instructor, though, Daichi understood. She needed to pass this; she was doing fairly well-for someone of her experience. What could she do? She didn't know-nor did she like-what she saw in that thing's eyes when she was going to deal it in. What was it worth, to kill the creature in front of her? Was blood on her hands worth the praise of the people beyond the glass cage they kept her in, like an animal, a weapon?

An ear-piercing screech tore through her thoughts, and so she whipped her head to the side, seeing the creature spring at her with its legs outstretched like barricades. _Get up, ready your sword! You're a warrior, are you not? _Her conscious chanted, and though the young girl was uncertain of what her heart said, her body did it for her. Putting each hand around the sword like it was a bat, her arm going back before swinging as hard as the girl could muster.

Time stopped.

Daichi's heartbeat was like a fluent language in her ear, whispering of urgency and anticipation.

Gasps and whispers were heard from the intercom, Beezlebub's raspy voice silent.

Opening her eyes, blue hues widened as the Hanae observed the destruction she had caused. The pipes filled with gasses were strewn all over the floor, and the glass that separated the two forces was cracked. Even if it was just a little, the mere thought that she almost hurt Beezlebub and his weirdo workers made her heart skip a beat.

Looking down to the bug, though, her heart dropped. Squeals and screeches erupted from its tiny mouth, the legs that were prickly and sharp at the ends jabbing at her. It was still alive, even though her sword was lodged deep in its chest-for a human, it would've been dead long ago! This wasn't a human, though, and she needed to remember that. A normal insect would've had six hearts; at least an earthworm would. What was this thing?

_Attack, you child! Otherwise, this beast will kill you! _The same voice ordered harshly; his voice seeming familiar, like Daichi's father, but this voice was elder, with more experience. Frowning to herself, Daichi shakily grabbed onto the sword's bandaged hilt; her sweaty hands didn't make her grip any tighter.

"Is this...right?" She muttered with obvious unease, the shake in her arms and the light tremble in her legs giving flaws that needed to cease, in order for the girl to get any better-no, in order for the girl to _live._

_Yes! Now do it! Attack!_ The thunderous boom of the voice in her subconscious startled her, eyes flickering back to the beast that stumbled along the perimeter of the arena.

Eyes narrowing as she distanced her feet,the girl held her sword up, ignoring the shake and waver the blade gave way to as best as she could. What was a weakness? What was a part that her blade had pierced in this monster? How could she win this fight?

_Clear your mind_, a part of her protested, the thoughts that barraged her mind starting to slip away like water down a drain. Even though her mind was clear as a crystal, she didn't know what to do. Was this subconscious of her supposed to help her?

Attack.

Breathes turning from uneven pants to light, even heaves of the chest, Daichi quieted herself, gazing intently to the beast. If it wasn't able to hear her, maybe it wouldn't rely on that sense? Would that help her at all?

er know combat? She was only a child, even then- even then she didn't know of blades, of weapons, of war. How was she supposed to kill something? Even if it was a demon, even if it was in her way, how could she kill it?

Attack.

Feet planting into the ground, eyes locked on the creature that started to balance itself on its legs. Before Daichi could fully react, though, the demon was gone from her sight. Head turning with eyes wide and mouth agape, a shrill shriek sounded from behind her. Whirling to turn over her shoulder, Daichi swung her sword to the left on instinct. Hearing a screech of pain and feeling liquid spray over her cheek, she resisted the urge to whimper and run away towards where the glass was. Instead, a hand just reached up, smearing the drops of goo that decorated chubby cheeks.

"Did I get it?" Voice uncertain, wavering with the anticipation of hearing the horrible sound of its screech, or the satisfying cheer of her mentor and his assistants.

However, eyes grew wide and pain bloomed through her chest as a low growl was heard behind her.

* * *

**Daichi:**

Opening her eyes, all that Daichi could see was white. Was she back in the room the people who were taking care of her put her in? Did that mean that a while had passed by once again? What happened at the match? Why was she asleep in a bed once again? Did she win against the monster they trapped her with?

Eyes squeezing shut, a hand reaches up to brush back strands of hair that were covering trembling eyelids. As she did this, wetness adopted the feel of her fingertips; yet Daichi knew that her body was under a warm blanket. A frown contorted chapped lips, as she takes in a deep breath-or at least tries to. However, a small wheeze was able to give her air, shaking with the pain and unease that this action brought her. Ever so slowly, the girl's hand shows itself to her from her chest where it laid; but now it was dipped in the color of crimson.

Gore. Screams. Cries for help. Begging of forgiveness-of repent for their so called 'sins'. Cackles of glee, whimpers of pain. The contrast between pain and amusement made its way to rack her brain, the scenes from five years ago that she wished to forget so much burning themselves into her head. It hurt; it burned; she couldn't take this pain in her head.

Leaning over the edge of her bed and grabbing desperately for the bin beside the nightstand, she started to cough and sputter, retching into the bin until all that came out of her were tears and whimpers of pain and grief. She wasn't able to heave herself up from the bedside; if only one of her caretakers were here. Brushing back strands of black that stuck to moist cheeks, Daichi tried her best to push herself away from the edge of the bed, instead rolling back on her backside. She gazes up bleary eyed to the ceiling tiles of white, trembling fingers reaching up to grasp for it.

"I want- I want to go home..." Home; what was that to her anymore? Her family was gone, the house of which she lived in destroyed and in shambles. All that she had left was the people who had saved her, right?

"Daichi, be more careful! You'll get yourself killed at this rate!" A voice that was rough and angered scolded. Eyes snapping open to flicker over to the man rushing into the room, a wavering whimper quivers her lips, teeth biting down upon her skin to sustain any more pained sounds from being uttered.

"Home-I want-I want to go home..." She whined, though by the grunts and shuffles from the male, he didn't hear. "Take me home, I want-"

"Don't you understand, child?! We are your home!" The fiery haired man almost roared, his patience dwindling down to the small thread that was growing thinner each second. Eyes widen with the harsh realization that was thrust upon her like a weight that slammed upon her chest; how could she believe such a thing?

"You-you're my...home, now?" Even though the unsure whisper sounded her confusion and slight fear of the man's angered words. Wasn't a home where her family was? Wasn't her home with her cousin, her brother, her loved ones? This wasn't her home. This was no one's home. "This place-this place... Is no one's home! I don't wanna be here; I wanna go-"

A sound echoing through the room, cheek turned and blooming in a bruise of scarlet. Tears bead her eyes as the man takes a look to her with narrowed, furious eyes that burn through her own. Even though Daichi knew she was being rude, even though the girl knew that she wasn't being grateful to their hospitable attire, even though she was taken care of by these people for the past few years, she didn't like it here. Especially not with people like them.

"Now, just let me do this." Iblis muttered under his breath, claws ripping off the clothing that wasn't needed. "Your wound will get infected. I'll get some pain killers, along with a pair of-" His voice breaks as a small, balled fist collides against a chiseled cheek, though the man didn't budge just the slightest. Pain flared against bent fingers, and though her hand trembled vigorously as she pulled it back, pride prevented the smaller from letting out the wail that bubbled in an aching throat.

"Leave me- leave me alone!" Daichi screeched, tears beading her eyes as she scrambles out of the man's reach, little legs carrying her away from that man, from that room, from that Hell that was her new home.


End file.
